New Russian coin hurts Lithuania

04.08.2016

The Lithuanian authorities are not able to discard the concept of “Soviet occupation”. Experts explain the loud indignation of the Lithuanian Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Central Bank issue of coins with the image of Vilnius in a series of capitals of the countries liberated from Nazism. In addition, in Vilnius chose to forget about one important Chapter in Soviet, and our own history.

The Lithuanian foreign Ministry vigorously protested about released by the Bank of Russia commemorative coins from the series “capital City States, liberated by Soviet troops from Nazi invaders.” It depicts liberated from the Nazis in Vilnius. In this series released including the coins dedicated to Kiev, Tallinn, Riga and Warsaw, but the disturbance was only expressed by the Lithuanian authorities.

“They will never be able to abandon the concept of “Soviet occupation”

“We know the position of Russia, and the launch of the coin only confirms that Russia is not ready for the historical truth about the Soviet occupation” – this statement made by the political Director of the foreign Ministry Rolandas, Kupcinskas.

On the Lithuanian capital coin are the inscriptions “Vilnius” and “13 Jul 1944” – it was a day when the Soviet army liberated the city from Nazi troops. However, according to Kupcinskas, the Lithuanians did not agree to consider it as a release, reports TASS.

We will add that on the coin dedicated to Vilnius, shows sculpture “On guard for peace”, filmed last year by local government from the Green bridge. This fact also angered Mr. Kupcinskas, who felt that the image of the Soviet sculpture also recalls the “Soviet occupation”.

The Central Bank of Russia could not respond to the demarche of Lithuanian authorities. “Any geopolitical changes that have occurred since the end of world war II, I can not put into question the undoubted importance of the victory over fascism for the peoples of Europe and the world. And this victory is dedicated to a series of memorable coins of Bank of Russia”, – said there.

We add that the Central Bank, releasing the coins, not casts doubt on the independent status of Lithuania – recall that referred to the capitals of the countries liberated from Nazi aggressors. The German foreign Ministry, incidentally, expressed no displeasure, although some of the coins including the one released in honor of the liberation of Berlin.

Myths and truth about the great Otechestvennaya city Council of Klaipeda, the Chairman of the Klaipeda branch of the political party “the Lithuanian Russian Union” Vyacheslav Titov considers that the Lithuanian foreign Ministry should not have to make such a comment, and should be welcomed that “the Russian Federation, releasing the coins, reminds all of its residents about a very important historic event, when he was liberated Vilnius from German-fascist invaders, when the Lithuanian people faced the destruction of this German car.”

“The actions of the Ministry of foreign Affairs seeks to make people forget their history. I think the Ministry’s position does not correspond to the positions of all the residents of Lithuania”, – said Titov to the newspaper VIEW.

“I can’t abandon the concept of the Soviet occupation”

In turn, the historian, the Director of Fund “Historical memory” Alexander Dyukov is convinced that the angry reaction of the Lithuanian foreign Ministry explained by the fact that from the point of view of local authorities the liberation of Lithuania from Nazi occupation was not liberation but a new occupation. “Around the concept of “Soviet occupation” is based very much important for modern Lithuanian authorities belongings. They will never be able to abandon this concept,” Dyukov said the newspaper VIEW.

He called the absolutely predictable reaction of the Lithuanian foreign Ministry. “Of course, the concept of “Soviet occupation” has very little texture. It is based on false assumptions. Nevertheless, it is consistently advocated and carried out by the Lithuanian authorities. So it was predictable”, – he concluded.

“Don’t look back”?

It seems that the current Lithuanian authorities are ready to review Germany’s role in the events of the twentieth century. “I think for Germany it’s time to believe in yourself, do not look back and not look for historical sentimentality,” he said, speaking on 7 July, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. Two days later, the German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten reported that Germany would send 500 soldiers of the Bundeswehr in Lithuania, as has happened before during a campaign on the “deterrence of Russia”.

The head of Lithuania also stated that at the beginning of the Second world war her country is supposedly “occupied Russia”, noting that Lithuania does not want repetition.

Thus, although Lithuania and recognized as “the occupation” stay in the USSR in 1940-1941 and 1945-1991 years, but the fact of the real Nazi occupation from June 1941 to January 1945 was not formally challenged, including by the Lithuanian authorities (not to mention the authorities of the European Union).

“The government, grateful to the Saviour of European culture to Hitler…”

From the point of view of the ideologists of national socialism Lithuanians, as well as adjacent to them, the poles and Belarusians fall into the category of “racially inferior peoples”.

“We (the German Reich) in 1918, created the Baltic States and Ukraine. But today we have no interest in maintaining Baltic States,” said Adolf Hitler in August 1941 (the phrase is preserved in the records of after-dinner conversations of the führer).

The indigenous population was subject to assimilation or deportation from the territory of Ostland (administrative unit created in 1941 in the former Baltic States). According to the General plan “OST”, approved by the Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg, the Eastern coast of the Baltic sea were subject to total Germanization within two generations.

Not surprisingly, the leadership of the Reich ignored the allegiance referred to in the execution of the former Ambassador of Lithuania in Berlin, Kazys Skirpa, 22 June 1941, appointed himself head of the provisional government of Lithuania. Despite the Declaration: “the Provisional government of Lithuania, grateful to the Saviour of European culture in the great German Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his gallant army, which liberated the territory of Lithuania…”, instead of “granting of independence” the Nazis appointed the German administration, and the Shkirpa put under arrest.

Also we will remind that in Lithuania there were the first settlements, destroyed the Nazi invaders after the attack on the Soviet Union – village ablinga and Zhvaginyay was burned, and their inhabitants were shot. During the period of German occupation in a small country were killed, 700 thousand people, of which 230 thousand were Soviet prisoners of war, and other recent citizens of the Republic of Lithuania.

There was another Lithuania

With the beginning of the Nazi occupation against the “saviors of European culture” turned anti-fascist partisan movement.

In particular, this group Marite Melnikaite, undermining the trains with armored vehicles, marching towards the besieged Leningrad, and the group commander Vitas (Juozas of Wallonia), one of the leaders of the Vilnius-Nazi underground. Melnikaite and Vitas was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, all to the highest Soviet award was presented half a dozen Lithuanians.

It’s not just about the conventionally Pro-Soviet underground. As noted by historian Alexei Chichkin, in the Lithuanian archives are Kaunas-šiauliai anti-German guerrilla group headed died in 1942 commander Itzykson Occupation (not Communist and not “simpatizantes Stalin, and nationalist).

By 1944, on the territory of the Lithuania General district of the Ostland were 67 units and groups, United in the two – Vilnius and Trakai – partisan brigade.

The guerrillas took an active part, including in the liberation of Vilnius by the Soviet army, the memory of which is so annoying modern Ministry of foreign Affairs of Lithuania.

Who is the hero?

The participation of Lithuanians in the struggle for the liberation of their homeland from the Nazis – a fact which is rarely the current Lithuanian government. Since the early 1990s in Vilnius prefer the glorification of the “Forest brothers”. Note that one of the future commanders of the “brothers” and “the President of Lithuania underground” Zemaitis Jonas-Vytautas first, in 1940, took the Soviet oath, and in 1941, deliberately behind the part and surrendered to the Germans (being an officer in the red army). During the Nazi occupation, the future commander-in-chief does not manifest itself only in 1945 moved to the guerrillas. After 1991 proclaimed a national hero of Lithuania with the appropriate monumental perpetuation.

In addition, the newly independent Republic willingly appealed to the “Declaration of independence”, issued in June 1941 the Lithuanian activist front” which was directed by the above-mentioned admirer of Hitler Kazys Shkirpa.

“Activists” distinguished not only by the fact that on 22 June 1941 uprising against the red army. Without waiting for the arrival of the Germans and much before the arrival of the “professionals” of the Einsatzgruppen of the SD “A” and “B”, “Lithuanian activist front” on his own initiative arranged throughout the country a pogrom.